Sterilizing-machine.



' H. Wl LOWE.

STEBILIZING MACHINE APPLICATION man Dic. 16. uefa.

Patentd Oct. 19, 1915 4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

ffm, ldliI @aw .X j. v. Y, g ei,... gid .Q

H. W. LOWE.

srERlLlzlNG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I6, |913. 1,157,017.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Oat. 19, 1915.

H. W. LOWE.

STERILIZING MACHINE.

APPLICATION ML110-Dsc. 16. 1913.

1,157,017. Patented 001. 19, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

STERILIZING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I6, IsIa.

1,157,017., Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

STERILIZNGfMACHINE.

Specication of LettersPatent.

.Pateatea'oce 1a, 1915.

Appncation-med December 1s, 1913. s eria1 No. 806,996.

of Florence, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, xhaveinvented certain new kand useful Improvements in Sterilizing-Machines,of which the following is a specification.

invention relates to apparatus `fo sterilizing or cooking materialscontained in sealed vessels, and it is especially applicable for use inthe processes of preserving fruits, vegetables and the like in metalcans.

It is the object of my" invention to provide a machine for theabovepurpose wherev in the cansare heated in a closed vessel proing thecans into the heating vessel through one of the Water-sealed openingsthereto, to provide conveying mechanism for carrying the cans throughthe heating vessel, to adapt the conveying mechanism to support apluralityl of layers 'of the cans in' superposed relation and tovconstantly 'revolve the cans upon their own axes during the period yofsterilization so as to agitate the contents 'thereof and cause a moreVrapid and even distribution of heat thru hout the conto provide meansfor retaining a supply of cans adjacent to the feeding mechanlsm fo-rcarrying them into the heating vessel, and

means actuated by the feeding means'for4 controlling thesupply-retaining means,

Further objects of my invention will ap- I pear and"'be more fully setforth hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, lFigure l is a longitudinal verticalsectional view Aof a machine vembodylng my invention, certainrepe'titionall parts being broken away, Fig. 2 is a 'side elevation ofthe same, Fig. 3 is a transverse Vertical section through the heat- -ingvessel on vthe plane of the line of Fig. l, Fig. 4 is a detail sectionon the plane of the line g/-fl/ of Fig. 5, Fig. '5 is a detail sideelevation of the intermittent drive device', Fig. 6 is a verticalsectional Viewl through the feed mechanism,n Fig. 7 is a detail frontelevation of a part of the trip AC, t

HARRY LOWE, OFFLORENCE, NEBRASKA.

mechanism, Fig. -8 is a sideview f. of the:

same", Fig. A9 is a detail vertical sectional View showing the latch'forthe trip mechanism, andFig. 10 is a detail plan'view of the L 60 same.

In carrying out my invention I provide a tank l of rectangular form,preferably made of boilerplat'e, and of which the upper side is normallyclosed by a removable cover-plate 2. `The length of the tank isproportioned according tothe desired ca`- pacity of the machine for theparticular purposes for which Vit is to be'employed, but in the drawingsall the central part of the tank is broken away, since the partsl thatmight be shown in the removed portion-are merely repetitions orcontinuations of the parts actually shown.

Near the front-end of the tank is a shaft 3 of which the end portionsextend through fixed bearings in the sides of the tank. Near therearward end of the tank is a transverse shaft 4 disposed parallelv withthe shaft 3 and of which the end portions are'journaled in boxes 5 atthe sides of the tank. The boxes 5 are held slidably in guide-plates' 6,

and adjusting-screws 7 are provided whichl bear against the ends oftheboxes for-moving them longitudinallyof the guide-plates to 'adjust thetension of the chains for the conveyer and. moving trackway for theconveyer rollers. Each of thegbearings for the shafts 3.and 4 isprovided with a packinggland at the outer .e/nd,y as shown at 8 inv Fig.4.

On the shafts 3 and 4 adjacent to the sides i of the tank are mountedsprocket-Wheels 9 i' and 10, the wheels 9 being keyed to the shaft 4.and the wheels \10 being revoluble on the shaft v3. Adjoining the innersides of the sprocket-Wheels 9 and-10 are smaller sprocket-wheels 11 andv12, ofwhich ther Wheels 11 are keyed'to the shaft 3 and the Wheels -12are revoluble onthe shaft 4. Endetsl 9 and p10, exten'ding'between theshafts 3 A and 4 adjacentto the'sidesfof the tank.

Projecting laterally from the inner sides o'f 1.00- less chains 13' arepassed around the sprock- The parts of the chains 16 between thesprocket wheels are supported on fixed tracks 18 and 19, said trackspreferably be'- ing forlned of ordinary rolled channel-bars.

The upper tracks 18 are supported by transverse angle-'bars 20 of'whichthe ends are secured to the sides of the tank, and the lower tracks 19are suspended from the lupper by means of the connecting-plates 21. Thelower tracks 19 are arranged so as to hold the chains 16 at a levelconsiderably above the corresponding portions of the chains 13, the endsof said tracks being curved downwardly adjacent to the sprocketwheels 11and 12. as shown in Fig. 1. The upper tracks 18 hol'd the chains 16slightly above the leveln of the upper sides of ther sprockets 11 and12, so that the upper edges of the chains .bear against and form amovable trackwav and support for the conveyerrollers 15.

To prevent sagging of the chains 16 be. tween the sprocket-wheels andthe ends of the tracks 18, bars 22 are provided which are pivoted to theends of the tracks and eX- tend into peripheral grooves in the sprockets11 and 12, said grooves being located centrally with respect to thesides of the sprocket teeth, the depth of the grooves being greater thanthat of the teeth', and the end portions of the bars 22 resting on thebottoms of the grooves. Said bars 22 serve ,tohold the chains 16upagainstv the rollers 15 between the sprockets andthe ends of the tracks18. Near the bottom of the tank are tracks 23 on which the conveyerrollers 15 )rest during their return movement from the sprockets 9 tothe sprockets 10.

At the front end of the tank is a frame consisting of the side-pieces 24and 25, cross` lrods 26 and 27, and a cross-bar 28 which is secured toand supports the front end of the tank. Near the front' side of saidframe are carried bearings for the main drive shaft 29 which carries atlone end, adjacent to the frame-member 25, a large-drive pu-lley 30,

the same being driven by a belt 31 extending',

toa suitable sourceof power.

Adjacent to the pulley 30 a small sprocketwheel 32 is securedto theshaft 29 and from said sprocket a chain 33 extends to a largesprocket-wheel 34 carried on the end of the shaft`3. The shaft. 3-isthus driven continuously in a direction such that the upper Endlessportions of the chains 16 move forwardly, or

from the sprockets 12 toward the sprockets 11, being driven from thelatter which are keyed to the shaft 3.

On the end of the shaft 3 opposite the sprocket-wheel 34 is a pinion 35which meshes with a crank-gear 36 mounted on a stub-shaft 37 carried bythe side-frame 24.

0n the side ofthe crank-gear is a crankpin 38 from which aconnecting-rod 39 eX- tends upwardly and is connected with a crank-arm40 carried on the end of a transverse rocking-shaft 41 journaled in theupper portion of the frame. #0n said rockingshaft adjoining theinnerside of the framemember 25 is a crank-arm 42 from which along'connecting-rod 43 extends rearwardly and downwardly, and isconnected with a crank-arm 44. The latter crank-arm is pivotally mountedvon the hub of a ratchetwheel 45 which is secured on-the end of theshaft 4.

The arm 44 carries apawl 46 of which one end is weighted, and whichnormally engages the ratchet-wheel 45 as shown in adjoining pair of therollers, as shown, the

adjoining rows of the cans not Vbeing in contact with each other. Uponthe lower layer of cans A a second layer of cans B may be placed, andupon the latter a third layer of cans C may rest, as shown. Guide-bars47 arranged at thesides of the tan'k,keep the rows of cans A, B and C inproper transverse relation to the conveyer.

The tank may be heated by any suitable means, and in the drawings thereis shown a perforate steam-.pipe 48 at the bottom of the tank, throughwhich live .steam may be admitted thereto. When the temperature desiredin the tank is not greater than that of water boiling at atmosphericpressure,

the lower part of the tank is filled with water to a level above thesteam-pipe 48, so that the steam from the pipe will pass into the waterand raisethe same to boiling temparature.

'i TheI desired water-level is maintained inthe tank by means ofa trap.49 which is `con'- nectedwith thevbottom of the tankas shown in Fig. 1.The ltrap is preferably provided With a gate'50-which may be'openedywhen it is desired to empty the tank or to clean andvflushl outthe same. lVhere .higher temperatures than that of boiling water aredesired in the tank the drainage trap may be arranged so that the waterlevel will be slighty below the bottom of the tank, and

/ inner portions of the contained materials are thereby brought to thesurface and` more.

. rapidly and uniformly heated.

The intermittent movements of the conveyer, before described, graduallycarry the cans toward the rear end of the tank where they are receivedupon an inclined shelf 51 as the rollers commence to [pass around thesprockets 9. The shelf'5lD is, in effect, aninward extension of thelower side of the chute or spout 52 which extends diagonally down` wardfrom the .rearward end of the tank. The lower end of the spout extendsinto a cooling-vat 53 so that the opening of the spout is below awater-level maintained in said vat and is thus water-sealed. The cans'rolling down the chute pass into the water, and may be removed fromthevat by suitable means, such as the inclined conveyer represented Abydotted lines 54 in Fig. 2. Automatic means are provided for feeding thecans into the tank and placing themin pproper position on the conveyingand rotating mechanism. At the front en'd ofthe tanks is a forwardlyextending trough 55 of cylindro-segmental form. 4At the top of the tankadjoining the trough is an upwardly extending hood 56 of which thefront-plate 57 'extends down into the trough, the lower edge ofthe saidplate curving forwardly so as to be substantially concentric with ythecurved lbottom-'plate of the' trough, thus leaving a curved spacebetween said plates somewhatgreater in thickness than the diameter ofthe can to be handled by themachine. The trough is filled with water toal levelabove the lower edge of the plate 57,v

so that the opening into the tank-between said plate and the bottom ofthe trough 55 is water-sealed. Along the front edge or lip l ofthetrough is an inclined feed-table 58 which is connected to the trough bythe lbars 59, and is further supported by means of brace-bars l60 whichextend downwardly to the cross-rod 26.- On the feed-table are dis.-

posed# rows of cams A, B and C which roll down the t'able' toward thetrough until the with the rocking-shaft 41.

cured to a transverse shaft 64 whichis piv* oted on the lower side ofthe table near the front edge thereof.

At the center ofthe shaft 64 is a downwardly extending arm 65, to thelower end of which is connected a spring 66. Said spring extendsrearwardly and is connected to a lug on the lower side of the trough 55,

the tension of the spring serving to pull the arm 65 rearwardlyand thuskeep the arms 63 and the finger-bar normally in raised position.

A shaft 67 is journaled in the upper part of the frame-members 24 and25, parallel On one end of saidshaft 67 is a pinion 68 which -mesheswith a gear-segment 69 carried by the shaft 41; so that the rockingmovements'of the latter shaft producesimilar movementsv of the shaft 67,such movements being, however,A

greater in extent thanthe movements of the shaft 41. 4

On the shaft 67 between the frame-members are secured the cradle-arms70, the same comprising straight portions which extend radially from theshaft, and curved portions joined to the outer ends of the `radialportionsk and extending concentrically with the shaft. The bottom of thetrough 55 is also substantially concentric with the shaft 67, so thatduring rotation of said shaft the curved portions of the cradle-armsmove adjacent to -the trough-bottom, but without comin into contacttherewith.

To t e ends of the curved portions of the cradle-arms is secured thecradle or feeding-4 carrier, vcomprising the flat perforate endplates71, curved side-plates 72, and crossf rods 73 extending between theside-plates.

At the end of the cradle-shaft 67 opposite the pinion 68 is an arm 74which carriesa counterweight 75 arranged so as to substantially balance.about the axis of the shaft the weight of the cradle-arms and 'cradleThe movements of the cradle-shaft are such that at one eXtreme ofmovement thereof the cradle is in a position a little higher than thatshownin Fig. 6. As the cradle reaches the extremeforward and upperposition the retaining f ngers'61 are depressed so as to permit the canson-the feed-table to roll into the spaces in 'the cradle between theendplates and'cross-rods. The depression of the retaining-fingersiscaused by the following means.: On the cradle-shaft 67 adjacent totending downwardly and the opening through the head being :elongatedvertically to permit movement of the bar relative to the shaft. On theside of the bar is a roller 78 which may be engaged by the raisedportion of the cam, as shown in Fig. 8, to push the bar downwardly'. Thelower end of the bar isslotted vertically and passes slidably aroundastud 79 secured to a lever 80 of which `the rearward end is pivoted ona lug 81 Aat the side of the trough 55, while the other end of the leverrests upon the upwardly extendingvend portion 63 of' one of the arms 63.

On the side of the cam-bar 77 is pivotally mounted a bar 82 of which thelower end normally rests on the upper side of the lever 80, so that asthe cam-bar is pushed down by the cam the movement is communicatedthrough said bar 82 to the lever 80 and thence to the arm 63 and shaft64, the fingerj' bar'62 being moved to the releaseposition y shown inFigl 6. If it is desired at any time to` stop the feeding ofy the cansfrom the table 58 the bar 82 is pulled forward, by

lmeans of` ahandle 83 thereon, to the; posi- .tion shown in Fig. l andby dotted lines in l`Fig. 8. f. At this position the cam-bar is per- 'ivmitted to dropv down until the' roller 78 is ,not lengageable by thecalm, so that the fin-`v ger-bar isnot inovecl to the release positionand the' cans are retained upon the feed-table insteadof'being permittedto roll into the -ciadldxa ,I

,ifnfr'elea se4 position while the cradle 1s mov-v ;For r v'taining thefinger-bar temporarily yfing4downwardlyas represented in Fig. 6,

'fone ofthe' arms 63 vis provided with an up- I wardlyextendingend-portion 63, the same 4o carrying a pin 84 which is engageable withalatch 85'pivoted. at one edge of the table.

"Saidlatch 85 Vis "`provi'o`led with a counterweight-carrie :jon an arm86 and arranged sothatthe-'latch is Vnormally held thereby,.iIj-ithe'position shown inFrg. 9. When the finger-baris depressed-thepin 84 engages the upper curved vface of the latch, first lpressing the"latch forwardly and then passing into a notch'in the'glowerpart of thellatchl as' shown in Fig'. 9.' After the p in is enga-ged in the notchthe finger-bar is thereby held in release position until the latch is lmoved 'to disengage it from the pin.

For-.releasing the latch a roller 87 is provided' on one side of thecradle at the positionfindicatedin Figs. 9` and 10. ils'the` upper sideof` the cradle approaches the.

lower edge of the feed-table, a position at which the cradle will becompletely filled with cans, said roller 87 strikesthe latch anddisengages' it from the pin 84, whereupon the finger-.bar is moved bythe spring 66 to the normal raised position at which the fingers 61prevent the cans from rolling ofi' the table.

After the cradle is filled with cans, as.`

described, its rearward movement continues and the cans therein arecarried through the water-seal around the lower edge 'of the plate 57and up' inside the tank, as represented in Fig. l, the eXtreme ofmovement of the cradle being indicated by dotted lines in said figure.As the cradle moves up into the hood 56 the rows of cans aresuccessively carried above the rearward edge of the trough 55 and aredeposited upon the conveying and rolling mechanism, the successive lrowsbeing disposed in the superposed relation before described, it beingobvious that the first row of cans A topass from the trough will falldirectly onto the conveyerrollers, the next row of cans B being disposedon top of the first, and the next row of cans C/being deposited on topof the cans B. The movements of the cradle are made comparativelyyslowly so that during the passage of the cradle through the trough 55the water therein may flow through the perforate plates 71 and aroundthe cans, so that the latter'pass into the tank without destroying thewater-seal. The movements of the conveyer are, of course, timed the sameas the movements of the cradle mechanism, since both groups of mechanismare driven primarily from the rocking-shaft 4l.

From the foregoing the operation of the machine as a whole will beclearly apparent and neednot be here recapitulated. It will be obviousthat the machine as described 'provides an efficient land economicalmeans 'for sterilizing V.materials in metal cans, and that the machinewill occupy a comparatively small oor space proportionally tovits-output, due to the fact that a plurality of layers of the cans aresuperposed 1n passing through the heatingvessel. It will also appear tothose skilled in the art' that various changes in the specific structureof the machine may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention as herein setlforth and hereinafter claimed.

sii

Now, having described my inventionwha t i I claim' and desireto secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In a sterilizmg machine, a heating vessel, an endless conveyerdisposed in said ves? having a series of transverse rollers 'spacedapart horizontally, -continuously moving means engaging said `rollersfor revolving the same, and means for intermittently moving the rollershorizontally.

having portions engaging the conveyer rollers to revolve the same.

5. In a machine of the class described, a conveyingA mechanism having aLseries of horizontally spaced rollers adapted to 'support a plurality.of cylindrical cans in horizontally.v spaced relation to each other,means for moving the conveyer rollers horizontally, supporting means on-which the rollers rest, and means for moving lsaid supporting meanstransversely of the rollers to oonl tinuously revolve the same.

lno

6. In a machine of the class described, a pair of parallel'horizontalshafts, -separate driving'means for said shafts, an endlessconveyerhaving transverse rollers, wheels on said shafts engaging saidconveyer, otherv wheels disposed on said shafts inside the conveyer, andendless flexiblel means engaging the latter Wheels andadapted to engagethe transverse rollers to revolve the same, sald means bel g -driven-from one of the shafts and theconveyer being driven from` the othershaft..

7. In a machine oftheclass described, a

horizontal conveying mechanism provided with means for retainin rows ofcans in horizontally spaced relatlon to each other, means for actuatingsaid` conveying mechanism, means for heating the cans carried by theconveying mechanism, and mean-s for feeding rows of cans onto themechanism and placing said rows of .cans 1n a plurality of superposedlayers thereon.'

8. Ina machine of the class described, 4a horizontal conveyerhavingtransverse rollers, means forming movable tracks for said rollers,actuating means for moving ,said tracks to revolve the rollers,actuatlng means for progressively moving the conveyer longitudinally ofthe tracks, andA means for placing rows` of'cylindrical cans upon theconveyer, said means being adapted to place said cans in a plurality yoflayers ofwhich a horizontal cradle-shaft, cradle-arms thereinto,

conveying' each layer comprises axially alined rows of the cans, theadjacent rows being spaced apart, each row of the lowermost layerresting upon an adjacent pair of theconveyer rollers, and eachsucceeding layerof the cans resting upon the cans of the layer belowthem.

9. In a machine of the class described, an inclined feed-table, a cradleswingable on ahorizontal axis and adapted to move adjacentto said tableto receive therefrom a plurality of -rowsof cans, a trough disposedconcentrically with the cradle-axis and eX- tending adjacent to thelower edge of the feed-table, a tank to which the trough is connected,conveying Vmechanism within' the tank and extending adjacent to one endof the trough, and means for actuating the trough and discharge themfrom said end of successively superposed relation.

10. In a machine of the class described,

.secured to the shaft, said arms having portions extending radially fromthe shaft and curved portions concentric with the shaft and joining theouter ends of the radial portions, a cradle carried at the ends of thecurved arm-portions,-1a trough arranged with the bottom thereofsubstantially con-` centric with the cradle-shaft, means for actuatingsaid shaft to swing the cradle through the trough in alternatingdirections, an inclined feed-table disposed at oneV edge of the trough,means'for retaining rows of cans on the feed-table, means for releasingsaid retaining means yas the cradle is moving adjacent tothe edge of thetable so that the rws of cans `may roll from the table into the fcradle, means for resetting l saidretaining means as the cradle movesbeyond the table to carry the cansthrough the trough, and conveyingmeansfor receiving the cans from the cradle jat the other edge of the trough.'o

11. In a machine fof the class described, a-

tank having at one end a passage opening rectangular in transversevertical section and being downwardly curved in longitudinal verticalsection, horizontal conveying said passage being substantially .n-

the trough onto the conveyer mechanism in means arranged within the tankand eXtend ing adjacent' to the inner end of said passage, and acurvilinear reciprocating de v1ce for pushlng cans through sa1d passageonto said conveying means.

12. In a machine of the class` described, a

tank having at one end a curvilinear waterl sealed passageopeningthereinto, a swingable cradle adapted to enter the tank from the outsidethereof through said passage, conveying mechanism disposed in the tankadjacent to the inner end of said passage, means for admitting cans tothe cradle at a position thereof outside the tank, means for Intestimony whereof I have hereunto actuating the cradle to swing the samesubscribed my name in the presence of two through thepassage so as toplace the cans witnesses.

held thereby onto the conveying mechanism, HARRY W. LOWE. and means foractuating the conveying Witnesses: mechanism synchronously With thecradle- LELAND A. BABcocK,

actuating mechanism. ROSE MOGKLER.

